In Brief -Elected
to the U.S. Senate in Nov. 1972 at age 29, re-elected in 1978, '84,
'90,
'96 and 2002. Ranking member on the Foreign Relations
Committee.
Considered but ruled
out a bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination.
Sought
the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination, announcing candidacy on
June
9, 1987 but withdrawing three months later amid plaigarism
charges.
Served on the New Castle County Council, 1970-72. Practiced law
in
Wilmington, Delaware. Graduate of Syracuse University College of
Law, 1968 and of the University of Delaware, 1965. Born
Nov.
20, 1942 in Scranton, PA. [Timeline].

NotesSignalled Intentions
EarlyEarly on, in the pre-campaign
period,
Sen. Joe Biden was among the most open of the presidential prospects in
signalling his intentions to run for president. On Dec. 8, 2004
Sen.
Biden stated on MSNBC's "Imus in the Morning," "Well, I'm going to
proceed
as if I'm going to run." On Feb. 27, 2005 NBC News' "Meet the
Press"
Biden told host Tim Russert he "might" run. "I think I have to
make
that decision by the beginning of the next congressional election
cycle,"
he said. "Practically I think--personally have to decide whether
I'm serious about it by the end of this year." And on June 19,
2005,
appearing on CBS News' "Face the Nation," Biden said, "If
in fact I think I have a clear shot at winning the nomination by this
November
or December, then I'm going to seek the nomination." During a
June
2006 visit to New Hampshire an AP reporter quoted him as stating, "I'm
running for president--flat out," and in a July 2006 visit to New
Hampshire
he stated, according to Union Leader political reporter John
DiStaso,
“I'm in. I know I’m supposed to hedge, but I’m in.”

Twenty Years EarlierOn June 9, 1987, age 44,
having already served in the Senate for 14 years, Sen. Biden announced
his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. However,
Biden's bid ended abruptly in September 1987 after a video from the
Dukakis
campaign showed that he had plagiarized from British Labor Party leader
Neil Kinnock.

Biden now has about 20
years
of additional experience in the Senate; he chaired the Judiciary
Committee
from 1987-95 and chaired the Foreign Relations Committee from June 2001
until Republicans regained control of the Senate following the 2002
mid-term
elections. Now the ranking member on the Foreign Relations
Committee,
he has been one of the Democrats' leading voices on Iraq. On May
1, 2006 he proposed a five-point plan for Iraq, the first point of
which
is "to establish three largely autonomous regions with a viable but
limited
central government in Baghdad."

Biden quite possibly
has
more political experience than any of the potential presidential
candidates
of either party. As he stated at the International Association of
Fire Fighters' Legislative Conference in Washington, DC in March 2006,
"I've been a Senator here for 33 years--I might note that there's still
50 Senators older than me; that's very important for you to know
that."
Biden's long Senate experience is a great asset, but it's also a bit of
a liability among Democratic activists looking for fresh face.
For
example, unlike some potential 2008 Democratic candidates, Biden
inspired
scant independent
activity on the web in 2005 and the first part of 2006. At
the
same time backers of his earlier run could provide an initial base of
support.

Talking About Joe
BidenBiden's speaking ability
is likewise both an asset and a liability. He has acquired a
reputation
as someone who likes to hear the sound of his own voice, but he can at
times be one of the best speakers in the Democratic party, able to move
an audience, not pulling his punches, pausing, raising and lowering his
voice, and weaving in some lines from an Irish poet or two.

Readings

Joe Biden. July 31, 2007. PROMISES
TO KEEP: On Life and Politics. New York: Random
House.Random
House
Publishing Group announced on July 28, 2005 it had acquired an untitled
memoir by Sen. Biden."Biden,
in writing his first book, will tell the story of his remarkable
thirty-year
career in the United States Senate -- from journeyman days as a 29-year
old Senator too young to be sworn in, to his rise to become one of the
most powerful democrats, and one of the most dynamic, respected,
and outspoken politicians, in Washington. Biden will write
of the remarkable figures he's known (from Brezhnev to Rabin to the
Pope),
and of the many historic events he witnessed up close (and often played
a role in). He will write of the devastating personal tragedies
and
setbacks he has faced -- and overcome. And he will tackle
head-on,
with his characteristic directness and honesty, the challenges that
face
the world's greatest deliberative body, and the nation, today; explore
America's role in the world going forward; and assess America's current
domestic and international quagmires -- and how to move beyond
them."
(Initial title: A Better Place)